RE Log Fall 2016

42 Ransom Everglades LOG FALL 2016 Ransom Everglades is pleased to have bolstered its faculty this summer by add- ing accomplished teachers in a number of disciplines. We are thrilled to continue to decrease class sizes while enriching the educational experience for our students. The faculty members we attract from around the nation and world allow our students to thrive during their years at RE and beyond. Frances Alexander arrives to the English department from the Friends School of Baltimore, where she taught English. Previously, she served as an English-language assistant at the Lycée Boissy D’Anglas school in Annonay, France; a seventh-grade English teacher at SEED Public Charter School in Baltimore; and an English, humanities and Arabic teacher at Shaw Middle School at Garnet- Patterson in Washington, D.C. In 2010, she served as a teacher at the Better World NGO in Cairo, Egypt, and grant writer for the Children’s Cancer Hospital of Egypt. She is proficient in Egyptian Arabic and fluent in French. She attended American University in Cairo, and received her BA in Middle Eastern languages and civiliza- tions at Northwestern University. Blair Elizabeth Betts comes to the college counseling office from Beijing, China, where she served as a college counselor for Due West Education, which sup- ports and assists Chinese students apply- ing to American colleges and universities. She previously worked as an academic advisor at Florida International University and assistant director of admissions at the University of Miami, University of Pittsburgh and Fenwick High in Oak Park, Ill. Ms. Betts, a graduate of Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, received her BA in International Studies at California University of Pennsylvania and her MEd from the University of Pittsburgh. Mauricio Diaz joins the physical education department after 16 years at Southwest Miami Senior High, with four of those years spent as a department head. While at Southwest Miami, Mr. Diaz taught physical education and philosophy; coached football and soccer; and led the boys’ varsity volleyball team to state titles in 2003 and 2008. Since 2012, Mr. Diaz has served as assistant girls’ volleyball coach at Ransom Everglades, helping the team win the 2013 state championship in Class 4A. In the spring of 2016, he was honored with the Leo Suarez/Walter Krietsch Courage Award by the Miami Herald. He previously served as head women’s volleyball coach at St. Thomas University. He earned his BS in physical education from Florida International University. Paul Elkins comes to Ransom Everglades in the newly created post of Associate Dean for Student Activities; he also joins the physi- cal education depart- ment as a sailing instructor. Mr. Elkins has taught a variety of science courses, twice served as science department chair, and acted as a dean of students at six schools. Mr. Elkins also has coached football, soccer, lacrosse and alpine ski- ing; participated on leadership teams and many school committees; and worked on everything from residence life to crisis management to student-leadership programs. Mr. Elkins has extensive experience as a sailor. He was a four-time U.S. National Turnabout Champion and competitor in the Newport-Bermuda and Marion-Bermuda Blue Water races. Mr. Elkins earned his BA in biochemistry from Harvard University and pursued graduate work in biology at the University of New Hampshire. Danielle R. Ellis Ellis joins the English department faculty after seven years as an English language arts instructor at two public schools in Miami-Dade County. At Robert Morgan Educational Center, a magnet school, she finished runner-up for Teacher of the Year in 2014-15 and was club sponsor for Girls Who Code, the Diversity Action Team and Gay Straight Alliance. She previously worked at Miami Jackson Senior High, where she was named Rookie Teacher of the Year, and taught speech and debate, creative writing and English. Ms. Ellis re- ceived her BA in journalism from Georgia State University in 2009, and worked to- ward her MA in Caribbean Ethnography/ Literature at Florida International University. Bailey Farrell joins the Upper School sci- ence department and takes on leadership of RE’s dance team. For the last year, Ms. Farrell has been the science de- partment chair at Democracy Prep Public Schools in Bronx, N.Y., where she has taught chemistry and computer science since 2013. A Teach for America corps member advisor, she received an Amgen Fellowship for demonstrating achieve- ment in STEM fields. As a volunteer at the Bronx Preparatory Charter School for three years, she served as a speech and debate judge and chaperone, and coached a pair of debaters to a national championship. She choreographed and taught ballroom- style dances for the Bronx Prep Artistic Showcases, while assisting with chore- ography for the musical Dreamgirls. She received her BS in chemistry at Stanford University and MS in teaching at Fordham University. Gabriel A. Girado arrives to Ransom Everglades to teach social science in the Middle School after a diverse career that included clerking for a federal appeals court judge, working at the U.S. attorney’s office in Philadelphia and teaching high school math and science at Pinecrest Preparatory in Miami. Most recently, Mr. Girado was a permanent substitute at the Middle School, where he assisted in developing curriculum. Mr. Girado received his BA in political science at Florida International University and JD at Villanova Law School, where he participated in the Hispanic American Law Student Association and Coalition Advocating for Rights and Dignity. New Talent